Sunshine and Tears
by oldandgray
Summary: AU A perfect moment in the sun. Some times that includes a tear.


**I reread the opening paragraph of Sunshine and Smiles a few times and decided I needed to use it to tell a different tale. There is still happy here, but it might require a few tears along the way.**

 **Skins may not be mine, but the grammatical and spelling errors are.**

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Grace sat on the floor in the middle of a pool of sun light that was spilling into the room. The last week and a half had been cold dark and rainy, so it was nice to see the sun again. Being that it was still a little too cold and damp to sit on the grass in the garden, the floor of the front room would just have to do. She surveyed the objects trying to decide which peaked her interest the most. For a moment they all took a distant second to her dress and the uncomfortable way it felt across her shoulders and around her neck. She grabbed near her waist and pulled at the garment. Satisfied with the adjustment she looked behind her to verify she was not alone and then selected her course of action. On wobbly legs she pulled herself to a standing position and then holding onto the edge of the couch she turned to face the other direction.

Rich started to stand and move to her side.

"No! Stay there, I've got this."

"Gracie don't push it. The doctors said it would take time."

"I have given it time, and I am done with those two," casting a glance and a node of her head at the wheel chair and the walker waiting in the corner of the room. Still holding the arm of the couch she aimed herself towards the chair Rich was perched on. She took a deep breath blew it out slowly, looking down at her feet, willing them to behave. Rich took a deep breath too, but held his as he watched the drama play out before him. She shifted her weight and leading with her shoulder slid the foot forward, and then repeated the process with the other foot. It took several "steps" to cross the short distance between them.

Rich stood and pulled her into his arms as her balance failed on the last step. "See, I told you I could do it!"

"I never doubted you. But there is no need to push so hard. You don't have to prove to me how strong you are."

She pushed her face into his chest and whispered, "I wasn't proving it to you."

Rich kept one arm around her waist and the other under her arms both holding her tight and supporting her wight. He gently swayed back and forth as he held her in his arms. At first the movements were somewhat random, but together they quickly found a rhythm and a steady tempo. Grace held Rich as tight as she could; trying to hide from the despair the movement caused. Dance had brought her such happiness. She had been able to bring such power and control in her movements as a dancer, and express emotion as she glided cross the floor. But no longer could she achieve the flowing elegant leaps, hold point or walk point. She was reduced to simplest form of dance, swaying in place; trapped by her own body, and damage it had received.

"Dance with me Rich."

"I can't dance, I don't know how."

"We are almost dancing now. Just follow my lead, nice and slow. One, two, three. One, two, three." It wasn't a real waltz step, Grace couldn't manage that, but the movements were in time. "See you can do it. There is a CD by the player, 'Waltzes by Strauss', would you put it on?"

Rich turned her so she could balance against the chair he had been sitting in, and only then crossed the room to the player. Once the disk was started and an appropriate volume set he returned to his lady with a sweep of his arm and mock bow. Grace smiled and returned the gesture with the best curtsey she could manage. It was little more then a node of the head and plucking at the waist of her dress, but smile it created on Rick's face was that of pride and love.

"May I have this dance?"

"Let me check my card." She looked down at the imaginary dance card at her wrist and studied it with and intent look. "It appears to be open, so I would be honored, kind sir."

"The honor is all mine dear lady."

Grace reached up and placed her arms around his neck as he supported her wight. They moved slowly counting every other beat of the music, until finally they just stopped in the middle of the room and kissed. As the music stopped Rich moved them over to the couch and set them both down. Grace kicked off her shoes and pointed her toes in to the sunlight spilling onto the floor.

She looked down at her feet as the next song started. She tried to roll her feet back and forth to the music, but even that took so much effort. In her mind she could see the two of them dressed in finest dancing across the floor, a bright white spotlight following here every move. The vision brought a smile to her face, but the longer it continued the more the smile faded. Each turn and glide brought more pain and anguishes to her face, till she had to look out the window and wipe her eyes to break the spell.

"Why the tears, was I that bad a dancer?"

"What? No. Must be something in me eye." She tried to get control, tried not to let the lost dream make her cry.

"Am I really suppose to believe that?"

She tried to look up into his face but couldn't bring herself to meet his eyes. Instead she reached her arms around him and pressed her face into Rich's chest, all the while trying to hold the sniffles back. "I don't what to be broken. I didn't ask to be."

"Your not broken, you are my beautiful dancer."

"Not any more," the tears now seeping through. "You saw me, I could hardly walk, I can't dance. I'm broken."

"You are not broken, you are amazing. They didn't think you would wake up from the coma, but you did. They didn't think you would get out of the wheel chair but you did. They didn't think you would walk without that walker, not only did you just do that you then tried to teach me to waltz. You are amazing. If anyone should be embarrassed about their performance it should be me."

She knew in her heart he was right, but her mind couldn't let go of the image of the couple gliding across the floor.

"I am so proud of you Grace, and what you have accomplished. Just give yourself some time." He reached down an lifted her chin so they could look in each others eyes, "I love you."

Grace leaned up and pressed her lips to his. "You are my Tin Man, and you have the biggest heart of all." They just held each other for a long moment.

"Would you sit with me on the floor in the sun? It feels so nice on my toes."

"It would be my honor My Lady."

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 **Thanks for reading, all reviews welcome.**


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